PEORIA — Two 8-year-old girls in Central Peoria were robbed of their lemonade stand Tuesday afternoon — including all the money made from the stand that day.

Walter Haddock of 2803 N. Renwood Ave. contacted police about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday after the lemonade stand had been stolen from the front yard of the home across the street. Taylor Haddock and Aly Ortega had spent most of the day running a lemonade stand at Ortega’s grandmother’s house in front of 2806 N. Renwood Ave.

Walter Haddock called his daughter and Ortega inside the Haddock house at 5:30 p.m. to eat pizza. When they went to check on the stand after dinner at 5:50 p.m., Ortega and the Haddocks saw a blue truck slowly moving away from the house across the street, revealing an empty front yard where the lemonade stand used to be.

The thieves took the card tables, lawn chairs, a cooler and the earnings from the day, according to Walter Haddock. Ortega said the lemonade stand had hauled in $6.30 Tuesday, which was stolen along with a few dollars her grandmother had given to her.

Walter Haddock said he was incredulous that everything was stolen. He could have believed it was a case of a person picking up unwanted furniture from the side of the road if only a few items were taken. But all of it — even the cardboard sign that denoted how much the lemonade cost — was taken from the front yard.

“Who steals a sign that says ‘Lemonade 25 cents’?” asked Haddock.

Haddock said he recognized the blue truck, and all of the neighbors have been alerted to contact police or take down a license plate if they see it again. If he had not been sick with food poisoning that day, he would have tried to track the truck down. A police report was filed, but no suspects had been identified Wednesday night.

After a few tears were shed, the girls were back on the side of the road Wednesday with a new stand, flagging down cars for a cheap cup of homemade lemonade. Ortega reported earnings of $13 for Wednesday, an impressive total at 25 cents a cup.

“It was pretty sad, but I was happy to see them right back out there again today,” Walter Haddock said.

Thomas Bruch can be reached at 686-3188 or tbruch@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch.